Sindh reports 43 percent increase in 'honor killing' cases

Sindh province has seen a 43 percent surge in reported “honor killing” cases, according to data released by the provincial police on Thursday.

From January 1 to August 31, 2025, 142 people — including 105 women — were killed in such incidents, compared to 99 during the same period last year.

Honor killings — murders carried out by family members in response to actions deemed to have brought shame upon the family, such as choosing one’s own spouse — remain a persistent issue in Pakistan. Traditionally associated with rural and tribal regions, the practice is now increasingly being reported in urban centers as well.

“This is no longer confined to tribal areas like Ghotki, Larkana or Shahdadkot,” said Ali Ahmed Palh, a lawyer and human rights activist. “Now it’s spreading to places like Badin and Tharparkar. It’s not just a tribal issue — it’s a societal crisis.”

Much of Pakistani society operates under rigid codes of honor, where women’s decisions around marriage, education, and employment are often controlled by male relatives. Although a 2016 law was passed to close legal loopholes that once allowed families to “forgive” the perpetrators of honor killings, conviction rates remain dismally low — often under 2 percent, according to UN estimates.

Legal experts and rights advocates have expressed concern about the rise in cases, particularly in cities like Karachi. Nuzhat Shireen, former chairperson of the Sindh Commission on the Status of Women, attributes the increase partly to greater awareness and improved reporting. However, she also blamed weak law enforcement and a lack of political will.

“More cases are being reported, yes,” Shireen said, “but the actual number of incidents is also rising. The laws are not being properly enforced, and the government lacks the resolve to address this issue seriously.”

Palh added that in some feudal and tribal communities, perpetrators of honor killings are not only protected but celebrated. “Often, these murders are falsely reported as suicides,” he said. “In many cases, it’s only after investigation that we discover the victim was killed by her own family. The legal system also shares the blame — court rulings are not effectively implemented.”

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported that 405 women were murdered in honor killings nationwide in 2024 — a sharp rise from 226 in 2023.

Recent cases have drawn national attention. In July, police in Rawalpindi arrested nine suspects, including the father and ex-husband of 18-year-old Sidra Bibi, who was allegedly killed on the orders of a local council after marrying a man of her own choosing.

That same month, authorities in Balochistan arrested 11 individuals after a video circulated online showed a young couple being shot dead for marrying without family consent.